handler



Oct. 19 1926.

WITNESSES O. HANDLER ELECTRIC CONTROL FOR TAXIMETERS Filed March 17, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR OSCAR HANDLER ATTORNEYS Oct. 19 1926. Y I 1,604,042

O. HANDLER ELECTRIC CONTROL FOR TAXIMETERS Filed March 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IH" mml Z, H' 45 HI mmu A .hw 58 J" FM H |mull Iu p I 1 x 39 Z2 [2 46 5 7 42 L 23 cLocK 5:321? L u 35 MECHANISM !j {g"": r-'- WITNESSES INVENTOR An /1 ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 19,192

PATENT. OFFICE.

,- OSCAR HANDLER, or NEw YoRK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC CONTROL FOR TAXIMETERS.

I This invention relates to electric controls "for taximeters, an object of the invention being to provide means whereby the mechanism of ,themeter will be caused to operate as soon as a passenger is seated in thei cab even though the chauffeur fails to throw the signal arm to starting position. In other words, the broad object of my invention is to prevent fraud that is to say, with my improvements installed in ataxicab the chauffeur cannot convey passengers without V registering on the meter.

I Another object of the invention is the provision of mechanism which will ensure that the meter will register, even though the usual controlling flag is not advanced or turned down, provided a passenger occupies the vehicle, the principal effect of this movement of the flag being to connect the registering mechanism with the mechanism which advances or drives it. a 7

It is a well known fact that dishonest chauffeurs make special rates with passengers and drive their taxis without operating the meters so that. the company owning the cab is defrauded. It is, therefore, the purpose v my improved invention diagrammatically as applied to a ta'xidaband a taxicab meter;

F'gure 2 is afragmentary view in sectional elevation illustrating my improved at- V tachment or that portion thereof which is associated with the meter;

- Figure 3 is'a View in horizontal section on the line 3 3 of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 3, showing the parts in a different position.

1 represents a taxicab and 2 a meter such as is commonly employed in registering fares. It is to be understood that my inven-.

tion is to be applied to the standard typeof meter and hence it is .not necessary to describe the meter in detail except as to such Application filed March 17, 1925. Serial no. 15247.

' the clockwork mechanism.

parts as are directly associated with my attachment.

All meters of this type are provided with clock mechanism, indicated diagrammatically by the reference numeral-3,--and this clock mechanism is held normally! out of operation by a crank arm 4 which engages a sliding member 5 and is connected to ,a

crank shaft 6 mounted in' the frame 7 .of

It will be understood that by the term clock 'mechanism is meant the operative parts of a taximeter which impart move-. ment to register wheels to indicate the fare to be paid, and that this mechanism is ordinaril thrown into and out of operation by the movement of the flag. This" shaft 6 is capable of longitudinal as well as rotary movement and 1s provided with a crank arm 7 and witha coil spring 8 connected to the crank arm and functioning to turn the crank arm and shaft a predetermined distance and also functioning to hold the shaft 6 in a given longitudinal position.

Meters of the standard type are provided with a disk 9 fixed to a shaft 10 on which a signal arm 11 carrying the usual flag 11" is secured and located outside of the meter casing. When this signal arm is vertical and the flag thrown up the meter is not operating, but when 'it is thrown down to a horizontal position it automatically functions to start or pe mit the clockwork mechanism to operate as a clock and also to operate the driving mechanism of the register or meter. glhis is dueto the fact that the disk 9 is provided witha pin 12 which when the meter is not operating engages the arm 7 and holds the parts in the position indicated. 95

When this arm 11 is swung downwardly and to the right of Figure 2, the" turning movementof the disk 9 moves the pin- 12 in a direction which will allow the arm 7 to swing, hence permitt-ing'the shaft 6 to turn 100 so as to move the arm 4 in a direction to allow the slide 5 to lift'and cause or permit the clock mechanism to start.

junction with these parts I employ an improved attachment, which will be hereinafter described, to cause the clock mechanism to I automatically start or be released by the entrance of a passenger into the cab.

It is of course to be understood that I do not limit myself to the specific construction and arrangement illustrated, but I have shown forthe purpose a fixed contact 13 adapted to be engaged by'a movable contact 14 on'the seat 15 within the cab, so that when a passenger occupies the seat a circuit will be closed through the contacts 13 and 14 to operate my improved attachment, as.

will be explained.

On the outside of the meter I secure a frame 16 which is preferably enclosed within a casing 17 so as to protect the mechanismfrom fraudulent manipulation as well from dirt and foreign matter.

This frame 16 supports a pair or any desired number of electromagnets 18 which control the position of a pivoted armature'19 normally held away from the magnets by a shaft to move longitudinally when the lever 21 is permitted a pivotal movement in one direction.

The lever is, however. held against such pivotal movement by a trigger 25 pivotally mounted in the frame 16. This trigger has a finger 26 normally engaging the lug 27 on the end qf lever 21, and said trigger also has a finger28 which is held in a pivoted tripper 29 also mounted in the frame 16. This tripper 29 is of somewhat V-shape so that it accommodates the finger 28 between a member 30 and a member 31 located at an acute angle to each other.

The tripper 29 has a crank arm 32 which is normally in engagement with a lug 33 on the armature 19. A coil spring 34 is positioned around a pin 35 secured to the frame 16. One end of this spring 34 bears against the trigger 25 while the other end bears against the fixed frame.

It will be noted that the arm 32.has a recess 36 thereinthrough which the lug 33 may be positioned when the armature 19 is attracted by the-magnets 18, but in normal position this lug prevents a release of the set parts as above explained.

The lever 21 above referred to formed at its inner end with a cam face 37 which is ada ted to be engaged by a plate 38 secured to te disk 9 when said disk is moved to a predetermined position.

Within the meter casing I locate a pair of electric contacts 39 and 40 mounted on a suitable support 41, These contacts may be of spring metal so that they are normally togletsher, as indicated clearly in Figures 2 an A pin 42 on the disk 9 is adapted when the disk is moved in one direction to en; age

the contact 39 and force itaway from conbut as the contacts '13 and 14 are normally apart the circuit is normally open.

The operation is as followsz- Y lVhen a passenger enters the cab and rests upon the seat 15, the contact 14 will move against the contact 13 to close the circuit above described. If the chauffeur is honest and has moved the signal arm 11 to horizon tal position tostart the meter, the disk 9 will have-turned to a position'to bring the a wire 43 with contact 14. The other pin 42 far enough to move vcontact 39 away g from contact, 40 and thusopen the electricv circuit, and the meter will operate as'i-ntended without any interference. on the part of my improved attachment. a

If, however, the chauifeur'is not honest and does not swing the signal arm 11 to ope'rate the meter, my improved mechanism will operate as follows: v

The spring 24 is the source of movement of the trigger 25 and tripper 29 when re; lease is effected by the electro-magnets. The spring 34 has apparently a resetting function andfworks in opposition to spring 24. The trigger 25 is in continual engagement with the lever 21, and) when the parts are in the position shown in Fi ure 3 the effect of spring 24 is to press tie arm 32 against the lug 33. hen this lug is withdrawn by movement of the. armature. the spring 24 tilts the trigger and the tripper into the position shown iniFigure 4, compressing the spring 34, and by the movement of the lever 21 starting the clock mechanism. When the lever 21 is restored to nor mal position by the cam-38 actuated by. the fiag, the spring 34 returns both trigger 25 and tripper 29 to the normal position shown in Figure 3. i The spring 24 will then force the inner end of the lever 21 in a direction to move the shaft 6 longitudinally a distance suflicient to free the arm 7 from the pin 12. The spring 8 will then turn the shaft, causing the arm 4 to release the starting slide 5 of the clock mechanism and the meter will function so as to register thefare and defeat the dishonest intention of the chauffeur.

If the chauffeur concludes to operate his gage the cam face 37 of lever 21, causing circuit will against the lever the latter to swing in .against the lever tending to mov a direction to compress the spring' Ql and permit the shaft 6 to move longitudinally to normal position so that when the disk 9 is returned to its normal position, the pin 12 will engage arm 7 and turn shaft 6 in a direction to stop the clock mechanism.

When a passenger rises from the seat, the be opened 80 that the armature 19 will be moved by its spring in its normal direction so as to, hold the parts against'accidental release, as above explaine TVhile I have illustrated what I believe "to be a preferred embqdii'neht of my inven-;

tion it is obvious that various sli ht changes and alterations might be made in thegeneral form of the parts described without departing from my invention, and hence I ,do

not limit. myself to the precise details set forth but consider myself at liberty to make such slight changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spiritand scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a taximeter having a controlling arm, a disk fixed to move with the arm, a clock mechanism, and means normally holding the clock mechanism out of operation, of a lever pivotally mounted'between its ends, a spring exerting pressure p the same in a-direction to release the clock means normally holding the lever against movement and electric means for releasing the lever.

2. The combination with a taximeter having a controlling arm, a disk fixed ,to move with the arm, a clock mechanism, andmeans normally holding the clock mechanism out 'of operation, of a lever pivotally mounted a spring exerting pressure tending 'to move the same in a direction to release the clock mechanism, means normally holding the lever against movement, electric means for releasing the lever, said, lever having a camface, and a between its ends,

plate on the disk adapted to engage the cam 1 face and return the lever to normal position.

3. The combinationwith a 'taxlmete'r having a-controlling arm a. disk fixed to move with the arm, a clock mechanism, and means normally holding the clock mechanism out of operation, of a lever pivotally mounted between its ends, a spring exerting pressure against the lever tending to move the same in a direction to release'the clock mechanism, means normally holding the lever against movement, a pair of contacts, a pin on said disk adapted to separate said contacts when the disk is manually moved, and electromagnets controlling the release of the lever mechanism,

and included in a circuit with a source of supply and with said contacts.

4; The combination with a taximeter hava spring exerting pressure plate on the disk adapted to engage the cam face and return the lever to normal position.

a pair of contacts, a pin on said disk adapted to separate said contacts when the disk is manually moved, and electromagnets controlling the release of the lever and included in a circuit with a source of supply and with said contacts. 5." The combination with a taximeter having a controlling arm, a disk fixed tomove with the arm, a clock mechanism, and means normally holding the clock mechanism out of operation, of a leverv pivotally mounted between its ends, a spring exerting pressure against the lever tendlng to move the same I in a direction to release the clock mechanism,

means normally holding the lever against movement,'a pair of contacts, a pin on said disk adapted to separate said contacts when the disk is manually moved, electromagnets controlling the release of the leverand included in a circuit with a source of supply and with said contacts,-a taxicab supporting the parts above described, and a -pair of normally separated contacts adapted to be closed by pressure on the seat tacts included in said circuit and normally spaced apart.

6'. The combination with ataximeter havi g a controlling arm, a 'disk fixed to move with the arm, a clock mechanism. and means normally holding the clock mechanism out of operation, of a lever pivota ly mounted between its ends, against the leverjtending to move the same in a direction to release the clock mechanism, means normally holding the .lever against movement, said-lever having a cam face, a platoon the disk adapted to engage the cam face and return the lever to normal position, a pair of contacts, a pin on Said disk adapted to separate said contacts when the disk is manually moved, electromagnets controlling the release of .the lever and included in acircuit with a source of supply and with-said OSCAR HANDLER.

of the cab, said cona spring exerting pressure 

